Into the Shadows
by Ipods-and-buds-1239
Summary: AU: During the fall of the Greece, the Gods succumbed to their Roman forms, their Greek heritage long forgotten. But now, in 1900, the course of history has been restarted and altered. The Greeks are here to stay, their other aspects pushed aside. As history repeats itself, new heroes will replace those of old. One in particular, a mortal, will take his toll on the 20th century.
1. Savior

Lurking in the Shadows Ch1

Inspired by a combination of Sherlock Holmes and Anaklusmos14, this came into my mind and I can't get rid of the idea. I have two other stories pending but I've decided to get this out first.

I'd like to say, this had me intrigued, I had wanted to do something with Sherlock Holmes and Percy Jackson ever since I watched the movie "Game of Shadows," but I never really found a way to integrate it into my first story series. Making a separate story seemed easier. I'll work on my other story after I post this entire story.

Keep in mind, I do have a pairing decided, so no complaints. It's "Perthena" (If you shippers pronounce it like that). PercyxAthena.

Now, onto the story.

Summary

During the fall of the Greece, the Gods succumbed to their Roman forms, their Greek heritage long forgotten. But know, in 1900, the course of history has been restarted and altered. The Greeks are here to stay, their other aspects pushed aside. And as history repeats itself, new heroes will replace those of old. One in particular, a mortal, will take his toll on the 20th century, learning the elements while capturing the heart of a newly reincarnated Greek Goddess of Wisdom. Meet Perseus Jackson, detective, martial artist, insane mastermind of nefarious plots and self proclaimed peacekeeper, watch as he tries to prevent WW2 from occurring, while attempting to keep himself on the straight and narrow.

Ch1 Birth of a legend

London. A city of many pasts and pastimes. You could suppose that it was a dignified, upper-class city. Or a city of industry, one that leads the most powerful nation on the planet. A worthy new beginning for the Gods.

A being that glowed with the intensity of a hundred suns watched as the british citizens continued their monotone routines of eating their tea whilst reading the newspaper. This was a lifestyle many either relished or envied. If only they knew the error of their ways. The being smiled, "Your ignorance is blissful. But it shall not remain for long. Now that the greeks have reformed, they will take this city as their own."

The being gave a small flick of their hand and the world flashed. In a sickening crunch, the world faded in a flash. Soon, twelve beings appeared, sitting in twelve thrones surrounding a central hearth. The hearth was barely a flicker and the beings were hunched over, many not moving. The male sitting in the center of it all shivered, "Vesta... Is it possible to-" The man shook his head before tugging what looked like a bath towel closer to his body. The being watched on as the twelve deities slumped slowly in their thrones. Barely able to keep their eyes open they turned towards their visitor, finally realization dawned on the ones who were still awake. "Lo-lord Chaos?" The being nodded wearily, "May I take a seat?" The leader nodded, holding the hand of a women who sat next to him, a staff adjourned with a lotus flower resting in the crook of her elbow, her head on his shoulder. She sighed in her sleep.

"What can I do for you?" The man attempted to ask, albeit, the man appeared to be in no state to run errands or grant wishes. His robes, a roman toga, were tattered and dirtied and the man had a beard stretching down to his waist. His eyes had a feral look, a look that made one wary of its carrier. Chaos took a seat, "We must confer about the future." The man shook his head, "My lord, you do know that we will not last the night? As belief in us fades, so shall we. Our greek aspects will regain control on the stroke of 12 this evening. We have no hope. We do not have any place in this world's future."

Chaos sighed, "Do not insult my intelligence, I know of this Jupiter, I too fade tonight. You are not alone, all things born of Rome shall disappear as Greece remerges. But we both know that as this happens, history will undoubtedly repeat itself. I have foreseen the rise of your father, in his greek aspect. As a final act of loyalty to the world we leave behind, let us give the mortals of this world a beacon of hope. As we fade, our powers disband, we can channel them into a single being. We can give the greeks a figure head to rally behind, leave a final temple to Rome." A loud noise sounded behind Chaos turned only to see a grandfather clock near 12. He sighed before waving his hand in a circle. He stood and began a form. Beginning a series of precise step, he moved his hands in a circular fashion. A faint breeze blew through the throne room as screams and moans echoed outside. The minor Gods of Rome began to fall, one by one, as the seconds began to tick away.

Chaos began to move towards the entrance before coming to a stop. Parting his arms, he unleashed small wisps of power. they parted and struck each of the gods in the chest. Slowly, they all opened their eyes and regarded their creator in surprise. Chaos cast a sidelong glance at the clock before turning back to the dying Gods and goddesses, "We do not have much time, the worlds enemy on the other hand... please, grants me your powers." Looking to their leader, some reluctantly, their faces hardened and as one they stood and began to chant. Their Domains seemed to roll off them and their faces seemed to grimace but they continued. Without warning, the clock began it's hourly ritual. The ring of a bell began.

Bacchus was the first to fall, he closed his eyes in resignation before disappearing in a violent flash of purple. Venus was next, than Mercury and so on and so fourth. Twelve bells rang out through the night, waking every mortal from their dreams. Twelve times the clock rang, one for each olympian. Jupiter gave Chaos a meaningful look before looking to his wife as they faded, one after the other. Chaos stood, a single tear escaping his eyes. "Your sacrifices will not be forgotten, I will make sure of it." Chaos raised both his hands in sadness whilst lifting his head to the sky. Twelve flashes of light shot into the sky as the stars seemed to brighten. "May you rest in your namesakes." The planets brightened.

Chaos turned to the hearth and watched as the last olympian wept in despair. She turned to Chaos and tried to smile, but couldn't bring herself to it. Chaos sighed, "Our end will follow shortly, I've been around for far too long. Twas only a matter of time." Vesta nodded before looking to the stars, "What will happen to the Greeks, shall we ever rise again?" Chaos shook his head, "This is the end of the Roman legacy. Greece shall prevail for the rest of eternity. Earth has nothing left for us." Vesta nodded sadly and disappeared in a orange flash. Chaos sighed as a light appeared.

The light burst with different colors, the powers of Rome. With a slight smile, Chaos turned to it and addressed it directly, "Find a worthy successor for the power of Rome." Chaos thrust them out of the throne room. The room grew dark as Chaos fell, "Reincarnation. A funny concept. With an end, comes a new beginning." Chaos took a final breath before slowly fading into the shadows.

Far below, a new born cried in his nursery. All the innocent child remembered was a bright rainbow of blossoming color. A sign on the child's cradle read:

Perseus Jackson.

Born on August 18 1900.

Son of Sally Jackson.

Identification Number #3.

A new Savior had been found, what Chaos said was true, the death of Rome signaled the Birth of Greece. But would Greece's new found legacy last long? Only time and sacrifice would tell.

A.N. I've decided to end it here. Tell me what you think, I'd love some feed back, by the way, some info below might give the reader a bit of understanding.

1) The greek aspects of the Gods faded when Greece fell to Rome, Now that Rome has collapsed and the Roman Gods are no longer believed in, their true aspects (Greece) have returned... permanently. Chaos is gone as well, he was around for far to long and "decided" to fade.

2) Percy has been born before WW1, meaning he's going to be old by the time Camp Half-blood comes around. This is an AU in case anyone wonders, so I don't want any crap about the pairing being different. Nor do I want any crap about the time period or altered history.

3) All the wars between Greek and Roman demigods are false, they were between corrupted mortals and Romans, with Rome being on the "Good side." (History is written by the victor).

4) This will have historical undertones, so if your confused, don't complain, ask me in a review (I will answer each one personally in the beginning of every chapter), in a PM (Private Message) or go do some research. I'm not putting up with complaining, this is supposed to be a fun past time. Not a chore.

About my other series, "The Chaos chronicles" (The Halo crossover). I'm going to take a leaf out of Anaklusmos14's book and follow inspiration. I will continue that story later, sorry guys, but thats the way it's going to be.

Until next time,

-Ipods-And-Buds-1239


	2. Who are you?

Into the Shadows CH2.

A.N. Sorry I didn't update sooner, but I over procrastinated. With school starting in three days, I decided to finally put my foot down and write an extra long chapter. Didn't think I would get that much of a response, I not complaining, just saying. Most of the time, people hate new ideas, I never see anyone write them (with Theseuslives and Anaklusmos14 and a couple others being the exceptions). Some people just copy the same idea, over and over, and over and over again... I'm rambling, whatever, enjoy the new chapter and remember, I will always respond to every review individually.

Reviews:

krikanalo: I will, thank you for the advice.

WickedMidnights: I haven't officially stated, but I said in the summary and later on in the character information that this will be Percy and Athena. Sorry to Percabeth shippers, but while I like the couple, that's not how this story's going to roll.

violleet:... My first reviewer! With positive feedback! Thank you, I hope you like the story.

Life's-Darkness: I always continue my stories, whether I do it frequently or inconsistently is another story. This story idea has never been done before, so I'll do my best, thanks for the feedback.

Raceman1234: Updated.

Now, as always, on with the chapter.

Sally Jackson was an abnormal British citizen. Technically she wasn't even native, Sally was born in November 14th, 1870, in the heart of American New York, her parents were wealthy car manufacturers who made millions of military manufacturing, they always took pride in making the safest, most reliable vehicles on the planet. Sadly, they did not live past the age of 40. Their sudden demise, a plane crash on the way to the capital, was suspected as foul play but no one ever inquired further. The company was taken over by Sally's god father, who never had time for her. Within the week, the bewildered child was on a cruise ship to England, with a note to her dotting aunt and uncle.

Sally lived out her childhood and early years with her obsessive relations, who squandered the only reason they really took her in. Money. In the will of her parents, ten thousand american dollars and its equivalent in the coming years, would be given to the direct heir of the Jackson bloodline on a monthly basis. Her uncle and aunt kept her in a small room, giving her three meager meals a day and sending her to a private school that barely broke their bank accounts. Sally was a right mess, until she met Paul Blowfis.

Paul Blowfis was of Italian-American heritage, with a Italian banker for a father and an American writer for a Mom. Despite their protests, Sally became very close friends with Paul, with a few years, they began courtship and grew to something more. They were wed on August 7th, 1893, and bore their first child in 1897. With her recently deceased aunt and uncle, Sally and Paul, who followed Sally's maiden name in honor of her parents, became recipients of ten thousand dollars at the end of each month thanks to the success of her mother and fathers company under the new command.

Indeed, their family was unique, the husband English teacher at a prestige academy and a the wife writer with their first child, living in a luxurious neighborhood and not flaunting every pent and pound they owned. Indeed, they were scorned behind their backs by every neighbor they had, save their next door neighbor, Madame Maxime, a divorced French women, who was just as unique as they were.

Their family became even more differential with the birth of their second son. Compared their first son, Samuel, a plump rugby player of a boy who couldn't resist mimicking his neighbors every move regarding the use of every pound, Perseus was rather unique. Born on August 18th, 1900, Sally instantly noted that Percy was different. The fact that he was already solving algebra and righting essays meant for those fresh out of Oxford university whilst talking with better vocabulary that most of their neighbors only proved her suspicion.

Perseus had a knack for strategy, he was playing chess with the skill of a world master and often conversed with himself, imagining naval and land battles of epic proportions. At one point, Perseus managed to defeat his headmaster and veteran general at a naval battle without losing so much as a ship, drawing them in with the faster reconnaissance ships before blasting them to pieces with the heavier destroyers.

Percy, despite equal treatment from his parents, was the clear favorite, turning Samuel bitter. Samuel was often seen picking on Perseus, calling him a runt. The eight year old was often seen leading a gang of children against his younger brother, often verbally harassing the child. But Perseus took it in stride, never letting these things hurt him.

Yes indeed the Jackson's were seen as a nuisance to all but their closest friends, but one event changed everything, including their reputation. Their family west from scorned to hated and loathed, just because the goodness of their hearts.

Sally was, as well as her husband, a writer, and thanks to the wealthy amounts of currency they received on a monthly basis, were able to use their free time to focus on living their lives, writing and dining on exquisite meals. Indeed on this stormy night, Sally sat in a luxurious arm chair, sipping tea whilst writing her newest novel, a story mostly meant for her own kids, who put aside their differences in the house for the sake of family. Paul sat in an adjourning chair, reading the newspaper, peeking over the edges at the boys who were simply resting. The hearth was roaring as usual, a healthy, well fueled flame burned at the center of a large fire pit.

Outside, the sky was filled with rain as thunder and lightening clashed above, it seemed as if two beings were arguing. Samuel was oblivious to this, thunder causing the ground to shake only shifted him slightly, as the child was not really a child, more like an eight year old hippopotamus. His snoring over shadowed even the thunder. But the family was oblivious as they focused on their tasks. Perseus wasn't truly sleeping. Whilst he was supposed to be, the only thing he was focused on was thought. He ran through multiple scenarios in military situations, as if he was a general in charge of vast divisions of infantry.

Eventually, this grew tiresome, in every scenario and enemy reaction, Perseus won and his eyes slowly drifted close. On the verge of sleep, what seemed like a blast of thunder sounded, shaking the very foundations of the house. His eyes snapped open.

Sally looked startled and stood up, "What was that?"

Paul looked weary, "Must have been the storm, we should be fine." A quick knocking on the door alerted them that all was not fine. Sally and Paul exchanged looks before walking to the door.

Percy slowly tailed them, they didn't expect him to be up and with the storm covering his every footstep, he was unseen and unheard.

The six year old went with them, quietly, as Sally and Paul flung open the door. He saw a retreating figure and watched as they tried to catch their attention, only to watch as the figure disappeared into the storm. Percy looked on in interest, he was so enraptured that he didn't see the bloody bundle on the doorstep. Sally looked down and gasped, Paul and Percy quickly followed her gaze. A small squirming bundle lay at the couples feet, a baby, no older than what appeared to be two, who looked incredibly deformed and covered in a entrancing gold color. Sally slowly reached down and picked up the baby, looking around once more, before retreating inside, Paul following in silence, a fire in his eyes.

In all his short life, Percy had never seen his parents like this before. They looked positively livid, but not at the baby. No, they treated it with gentle care, washing the child underneath the indoor faucet resting in the kitchen. Perseus looked on as the wiped the child clean, taking special care when it came to the upper back of the child. Something inside him confirmed that, despite his young age and having no skill in the medical field, the child would stay the way he was.

The baby didn't look like one, the shoulders were disproportionate, with the left roughly seven centimeters higher than the right, the child's right leg seemed horribly mangled, something that seemed like it would catch infection.

Other than that, the baby was, what was the word, handsome, with rugged features already apparent. Without any injuries, he would have gained many favors. Percy watched on his parents swathed the baby in a towel before setting him down in a mess of pillows. They sat down next to him, debating what to do next. Percy could only pray that they didn't notice his absence.

With a straining ear, Perseus could pick out a couple phrases, "Drives me nuts-" "How dare they harm a child!" and "Where will he go?" Were recurring phrases.

Paul and Sally looked at each other for a few seconds before nodding.

Percy's father left the room, returning with a mattress and some bandages. Whilst Sally applied the bandages to the child, doing her best to stop the bleeding, Paul continued to bring pillows, sheets and blankets, piling them on the floor. Sally, finally finishing her patient, gingerly placed him on the mattress before lying next to him. The toddler stopped crying and became silent, watching his new found caretakers in interest.

Sally and Paul lay next to him, flanking him on both sides. Slowly, the child fell asleep, Paul looked up, seeing his smiling wife, "What am I going to do with you? First that bird with the broken leg, now this?" Sally's smile grew, "Something just took over. Paul, you and I both know that we can support another child, and in his condition, he'll have a hard time finding a foster, can we keep him?"

Paul sighed, "'I'll think about it." Sally smiled yet again, "I love you. We'll head to the city hall tomorrow, I'm certain they'll make an exception to a boy without birth certification."

Paul sighed again, he knew his wife's mind was made up, "Can we talk about this in the morning, I'm tired."

Sally sighed before resting her head on an adjacent pillow. Paul did the same shortly.

Percy continued to sit still and watched on as his family fell asleep, Samuel was snoring, snot dribbling down his chin. He shook his head and disgust before deducing that a little snooping would never hurt anyone.

He walked with unrivaled silence to the door, slowly unlocking it. Checking to make sure he hadn't woken his relatives, he slipped outside, picking up a forgotten note.

With curiosity, he ripped it open with a single precise cut from his finger before addressing it,

"I know your good people, I've watched you for years, I know you cherish everyone that comes into your hall.

You love your sons unlike any other, so I beg you, please take another.

His father claimed he was ugly and cast from atop a building, please take care of him.

He will make you proud. Enclosed below is another note containing some basic information, please use it.

Percy raised an eyebrow, oblivious to the oncoming rain. Indeed there was another note below, he slipped the first note into his robe before addressing the second.

"The boy's name is Hephaestus. He was born on July 18th, 1904. Due to dislike from his father, he has been injured, he will be lame for the rest of his life. Please keep him safe, I beg of you, one mother to another."

"So the boys name is Hephaestus." He mused. He looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of the boys former caretaker. Knowing that the mother had already fled, Percy headed inside, his eyes heavy. Little did he know that he was being watched.

"Ah, Perseus, your heart is pure." Madame Maxime smiled.

She slowly morphed into a women in extravagant robes fit for a queen. "I know you will defend you brother. I will make sure you are well rewarded." She smiled and disappeared in a blinding flash, a single tear falling to the floor.

She reappeared on a beautiful mountain, Greek and English buildings sat in a weird but beautiful hybrid layout, with their citizens mourning, they had lost a beautiful new heir to a jealous king. She walked into the grandest building that sat at the highest peak of the mountain. On the way she received sad, empathetic glances from what appeared to be neighbors. A man holding a three pronged spear approached, but she quickly walked past, holding up her hand up for silence. The man seemed pained but did not interfere. When she reached the palace at the peak, she composed herself and flung open the massive door.

A man approached, obviously annoyed, "Where have you been?" "Madame Maxime" growled, "You know as well as I do that he was our child, Zeus." She spat, obviously enraged.

Zeus looked shocked, than furious, "Hera, he would inevitably betray us, he would have gathered the favor of the Olympian council and overthrown me. It is my job as your king to remove any threats and-"

Hera growled, "I would have loved him the same!" She walked deeper into the palace, towards a massive bedroom.

Slamming the door and locking it, Hera watched as multiple golden symbols appeared. Zeus hit the door with a meaty fist, "Wife, open this door right know! I demand it!"

Sighing, Hera opened the door. When Zeus tried to step into the room, she slapped him, gave him a rather rude hand gesture before saying, "Find somewhere else to sleep you dog!"

She re locked the door and collapsed into her bed sobbing. The Greek goddess of marriage and family had lost her child.

November 13, 1916, London England, British academy for the gifted and talented.

Hephaestus dodged a punch before receiving a jarring hit to the temple from behind. He collapsed onto the cobblestone courtyard, curling into a fetal position on instinct. Such incidents were common for the twelve year old. The boy could fight, that much was certain, but he was soon overwhelmed by his much older opponents. Led by his older "brother," the 19 year olds often infiltrated the school Hephaestus attended in order to bully him. Not only was he younger, he was also disabled, with a displaced shoulder and a brace on his right leg.

Whilst he could run and participate in sports better than most of his fellow pupils, he was often looked over because of this fact, a gift from an unloving father.

Hephaestus closing his eyes, he waited for the mauling and abuse to begin. It never came. The next thing he knew, he was picked up and pushed backwards, against a wall. While it was rough, it was not intended.

Hephaestus couldn't bear it any longer, he opened his eyes and sighed with relief.

Standing before him with eyes determined, a cool demeanor clearly evident, was his brother. You see, Hephaestus has two brothers. The first, Samuel, was 19 and his chief tormentor, who was jealous of his intelligence and skill at mechanics. Samuel was a boy build for rugby, someone who never missed a meal and often faced disapproval for his less than stellar grades. He and his cronies were often looked down on, their age made them prime contestants for the war occurring in Europe.

The German Kaiser, Kaiser Wilhelm II, had come to the aid of his Austrian-Hungarian and Italian allies, with Russia coming to the aid of Serbia,their "victim". When Germany and Austria-Hungary declared war and Russia, France upheld a military treaty and came to Russia's aid, only to fallback and watch as the German and Austrian-Hungarian forces stormed into the country through Belgium and Italy. However, by invading Belgium, Britain finally responded, upholding a treaty signed years earlier that guaranteed British support of Belgian independence. Fighting became so fierce that the only way to survive was through the use of trenches, small crevices that wound for hundreds of miles, cutting France in half and leading to one of the bloodiest wars in history.

Men were dying every day and reinforcements were scarce, and yet Samuel and his cronies avoided drafting and enlistment simply because they payed off the local enlistment office. But the glares and disapproving looks they received on the streets told a different story. At the time, girls at a younger age were asked to hand out white feathers to those they believe should join the British military. Samuel received multiple ones every day, in fact, he kept them in his room inside a barrel that was already full to the brim.

Of course, the looks made life frustrating for Samuel, and who would be better to take the frustration out on than his younger brother.

His other brother, Perseus, couldn't be anymore different. Whereas Samuel was fat and unattractive, Perseus was lean and muscular, with many admirers. Whereas Samuel was brutish and unintelligent, Perseus was already finished with school, having received top marks in every subject. And unlike both of his brothers, no matter what the odds, Percy never lost.

Placing his younger, the sixteen year old stared off his assailants with grim determination. There were seven of them, with two carrying what appeared to be broken glass bottles. Two armed, four unarmed and a single foolish brother, all of whom were built just like his brother.

Taking a stance that came naturally, Percy spread his legs out to assure stability, a defensive position, as Perseus waited for their assailants to make the first move.. If everything went sideways, Percy could claim self defense for him and Hephaestus.

Hephaestus slowly got to his feet with a grunt and held his hands in front of his face, similar to a boxer. On his toes, he looked to Percy for instructions.

Perseus, a determined look on his face, said "Follow my lead, Hephaestus.

A crowd was growing around them, they found fights like these entertaining, many were already taking bets.

One of the armed men stepped forwards, looking to Samuel who nodded, "Look Prissy, all we's want's is Festus. Gimme em and ah promise ha'll be back fer suppah."

Percy shook his head, "Not on your life."

The teenager growled, "Fine then, you fall wit 'im." He and another teenager stepped forward, one with a broken bottle over his head, the other swinging a vicious hook-like punch.

As soon as they got in range, Percy acted, there was no room for error. Sweeping a leg at the general midsection, Percy knocked both over them over in seconds. Their eyes bulged almost comically. Percy immediately assessed the situation, the one closest victim was unconscious, the other attacker was winded. Perseus was about to change that. bringing his leg up, he vaulted over the first attacker and brought the leg down with enough force to shatter plywood.

Hephaestus smiled, these exotic moves were effective, as no one could predict what would be next. Hephaestus's remaining attackers finally gathered their wits, someone immediately stepped forward, attempting to gather Percy in a choke hold.

He winked at Hephaestus before elbowing the man behind him, knocking him backwards. The boy became dizzy and attempted to stand.

Hephaestus decided to step in, "Hey, you!"

The boy whirled around, only to watch as the twelve year old drove a knee into his gut. As the boy hunched over, Hephaestus delivered a vicious uppercut, despite his frame, he sent the boy into the air.

Hephaestus whirled around, only to see Percy beating down two attackers with brutal efficiency. The tables had turned as Percy cornered them, putting them between the wall and him, a similar situation to the one they had been trapped earlier. Hephaestus watched on as Percy slammed his leg into one boys knee, bending it in an usual angle whilst provoking a cry of pain.

Without a pause, he stretched out his arm and brought it in a wide arc, towards the other boys face. A tooth went flying and a crack resounded, the boy had a broken nose. Percy turned back to the other boy and smothered his face with the palm of his hand. Smashing him into the wall, a crack resonated.

Without a glance he swung his leg in a kick and hit the last fighter who was just getting to his feet, the boy didn't even have time to cry out.

Hephaestus immediately whirled only to see Samuel looking on in fear. Perseus glared and lunged, grabbing the older boy by the ear, "Lets go home."

There was no room for debate and everyone who was enjoying the fight immediately disbanded. The broken remains of Hephaestus's tormentors would be found in the following hour when the head master finally decided to begin the journey home.

Samuel struggled all the way home, to no avail, Perseus had a vice-like grip that was unrelenting. Hephaestus trailed behind, not wanting to witness the awkward moment that was certain to play out... It never did.

Everyone knew something was wrong when they neared the home. Perseus picked up the sounds of shouting and let go of Samuel's ear, reaching for the struggling boys arm, he pulled him into the foliage on the outskirts of the community where their home resided and gestured for Hephaestus to follow, who did so without hesitation.

Perseus observed scrambling figures around the charred remains of what was once the Jackson manor. Men in thick coats carried sloshing buckets, attempting to douse the flames that fought vigorously to destroy even the remains of their victim. The sky was full of shouting and was black with smoke.

Looters remained outside, looking at the house like it was ripe for the taking. Perseus, ever inquiring, threw on an impassive face, walked up to the house. Hephaestus and Samuel quickly followed. Immediately Perseus was enveloped in a bone crushing hug, he returned it, his mother not bothering to hide her tears. His father did the same.

They immediately moved on to Samuel, fretting over his injuries. Hephaestus was last, but he didn't receive the welcome his brothers did. Whilst Sally smothered him in a hug like a lifeline, Paul looked him with a look of disbelief and hatred.

Sally glared but Paul didn't notice, "Two men came looking for you, One claimed claimed to be your father, when they didn't find you, they set fire to the house-"

Paul paused and everything froze with foreboding, "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" He yelled.

Hephaestus looked on in shock, "Dad?"

Paul shook his head, "Your no son of mine. You've put this family in danger, we've raised you like our own all you bring is trouble. I want you gone, your not a Jackson."

Sally looked murderous, but not at Hephaestus. Samuel stepped forwards, "You stupid fool, you wasted everything Mum and Dad gave you, and look at this. Dad's right, this is all your fault. You were never my brother, you cripple." He spat.

Hephaestus looked on in shock, Sally decided to make her appearance, "It's not his fault that his past that he has no knowledge of has come back to haunt him, you dare put this blame on him?!" She moved to put her hand around Hephaestus's shoulder, but he wasn't there. He was running, Perseus watched him go.

Something seemed to take over, Perseus cherished his brother, he was a confident, a friend, someone who respected him. Aside from his mother and father, he was the only one that Percy could talk to. And now he was gone, thanks to a few harsh words from his father (whom he never expected) and brother.

With a the fiercest glare he could muster, which caused Samuel to hide behind his father, Perseus gave one last glance to his mother, who looked resigned and nodded, "Go to him." Perseus sprinted in the direction Hephaestus had run, moving as fast as he could. He saw that he was not alone, someone else was chasing Hephaestus. Something seemed to takeover, telling Perseus to take the high ground.

Sprinting forwards, the boy with uncanny agility seemed to fly, ducking and weaving through the trees, finding impossible footholds and grabbing anything that would serve to further himself to his brother. He quickly saw Hephaestus running as fast as he could along the forest floor. Perseus also caught a glimpse of his pursuer, whom Hephaestus was also oblivious of.

A large man, donned in leather and weapon, was running as fast as he could towards the boy. As he neared Hephaestus, Perseus decided to make his move. The man made to tackled Hephaestus but Perseus was faster, falling with preciseness, he landed on the man, securing his larger opponent, he turned to a crying and clearly surprised Hephaestus,

"RUN!" Perseus yelled, to which the boy looked on in thanks and obliged. Perseus pulled a pistol of the mans belt, only to be thrown of the mans back with a roar. The man surveyed his new target.

With a eerie smile, he sneered, "So, your the brother, father wants to eliminate his heir. And I'm his tool."

Perseus looked bewildered, but quickly hid it, hiding his new weapon behind his back, he looked at the man with a tilted head, "Who are you?"

The man looked annoyed, "I am Ares, son of Zeus and Greek god of blood shed and unjust warfare, rightful heir of my father. I'm here to bring that crippled wretch home, father will pass judgment."

Perseus shook his head, surprised at the claim "Prove it. Greeks are just stories for kids. I personally liked the Romans more."

"Ares" looked to be fuming, "I AM ARES AND I WILL PROVE IT WHEN I SQUASH YOU, YOU GNAT!"

Perseus raised an eyebrow and slightly angled his body, "I didn't say you weren't I just asked you to prove it. Your anger issues certainly suit your supposed realms of representation."

It was obvious he was attempting attempting to decipher what Perseus said, shaking his head, he chuckled, "You got spunk, I like that, but sadly you are an obstacle in my quest, and father doesn't like obstacles."

Moving to his waist, he reached to were his pistol resided, only to notice it's lack of presence. He looked up confused only to see Percy inspecting it.

He smiled viciously, "You little bugger. Well, either way, you had good taste, that's an American made M1911. Chambered to fire a .45, its got a recoiled operated, semi auto system, standard box feed. Go ahead, keep it, I've got hundred at my place."

Perseus gave a curt thank you, something the man was not expecting. He grinned viciously, "Now, lets get down to business."

Ares pulled out a sword, grinning, he fingered the length of the five foot broadsword. A set of brass knuckles was set into the hilt. It was intimidating, at the very least. As Ares stepped forwards, Percy quickly counted his advantages.

The opponent was larger, stronger and judging from the way he was holding the sword, clearly experienced. However, the size generally makes an opponent slower, a tactical advantage. Strength can be overused, if this opponent puts all his strength into a movement, it would certain to overextend. Then of course, experience obviously leads to arrogance; failing to estimate Percy's skill set could lead to his downfall.

Perseus quickly charted out the most logical plan of movement and his opponents reactions, he quickly smiled, he knew what he needed to do. Almost immediately, he leapt backwards, barely clearing the extended reach of his opponents swords. Sighting his opponent with the pistol, he crisply pulled the trigger. Not expecting the recoil, the shot went wild, Perseus's eyes widened as Ares made a swing. Ducking, the sword barely missed his neck. He rolled backwards as Ares made to stomp on him.

Perseus squeezed of another shot, this time he held fast,ready for the recoil. Ares attempting to dodge, watched in horror as the shot made impact into his side. Immediately Percy made his move.

Percy slammed his leg onto Ares's, bending it at a polar opposite of a normal one. Ares howled in pain and attempted to swing a wild punch, but Percy was prepared. Grabbing his arm, Percy gripped his wrist and pushed on his adjacent elbow. The arm gave way with a horrible crack. Backing away and watching as Ares ignored him, attempting to nurse his unexpected injuries, Ares looked up only to see an adjacent roundhouse kick into his temple. "Ares," God of war, crumpled to the floor, defeated by a sixteen year old.

Perseus smiled and looked at his souvenir. He held up the well cleaned pistol and smiled. A skull and crossbones adjourned the hand guard, the rest of the gun was a pitch black.

The boy smiled before a look of fear appeared on his face, "Hephaestus!" he yelled and immediately took off running in the direction his brother. He didn't have to look far. His brother had fallen to the ground, pinned up against a tree by three beings.

Hephaestus looked around helplessly, only to notice Perseus, who held a single hand up to his lips. Fingering the gun, he found the hammer that needed to be pulled back in order to be fired. Taking a stance he had seen the soldiers on parade take when ready to fire, he pulled back the hammer.

It had the desired effect. The three beings whirled around, looking fearful. Perseus finally got a good look at them. A women in white robes and perfect hair with manicured fingers was flanked by two men. The one on the her right was wearing some sort of body armor, metal plates adjourned with seashells and a three pronged spear was in his hand.

The final one on the left was dressed in pitch black, a staff covered in expensive minerals was held defensively whilst a helmet rested in the crook of his right arm.

Perseus looked them over, before asking another question that seemed to sum up his day, "Who are you?"

The lady moved forwards, smiling, "Perseus Jackson, it is an honor to meet such a fine young man in person."

She attempted to step forwards, but Percy immediately snapped his gun towards her, causing her to falter.

"I do not want compliments, I want answers, who are you people. And if you even think about attacking me or Hephaestus, I deal with you just like I dealt with your friend "Ares" in the clearing back there."

The lady looked shocked, "He is no friend of ours, he's the worst son a mother could ask for. And you dealt with him?"

Percy nodded, "He's unconscious, broken arm, broken leg, fractured temple, now, this is the last time I will ask. Who are you?"

The lady smiled, "I am Hera. Hephaestus's birth mother and goddess of marriage, women, motherhood and family. And I've come to take him home."

A.N. Sorry this took so long, I hope this didn't seem to fast, I'm trying to get to the main plot line, as these first chapters are kind of an prelude to the actual story. Hope you guys liked it, I'll update when I get a chance, wish me luck at shcool,

Ipods-And-Buds-1239


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